Organized Retail Theft Unit

Nearly $30 Billion a year goes out the door in retail crime, according to the National Retail Federation. The venues range from hardware to groceries, big box retailers to mom-and-pop shops. The theft runs the gamut, from armed offenders bullying their way past the register to someone quietly pocketing small items. Retailers are most concerned about organized retail crime, meaning the coordination among groups of thieves and people who knowingly purchase or accept stolen goods (“fences”) to sell online or in-person. With the modern accessibility of the internet, a “fence” can use online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay or Craigslist to sell stolen goods and UPS, FedEx or the U.S. Postal Service to deliver them. The losses carried by retailers is ultimately passed on to consumers through price inflation to offset economic loss. While the problem is most commonly associated with shoplifting, it extends well beyond into associated organized criminal activity.

Recently Governor Newsom laid out his Real Public Safety Plan, which included funding for the Organized Retail Crime local law enforcement grants. The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office has been awarded $2.05 million in grant funding from the State of California’s Organized Retail Theft Grant Program, administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), to combat organized retail theft. The grant funds will be used by the office to establish a dedicated prosecutor and investigator focused on ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable by identifying gaps in the system and improving cooperation with retail operators and local law enforcement.